David Davis

“ It is a familiar principle of public law, that unlicensed business intercourse with an enemy during a time of war is not permitted. Congress, therefore, in recognition of this principle, when it declared, on the 13th day of July, 1861, that commercial intercourse between the seceding States and the rest of the United States should cease and be unlawful, after the proclamation of the President that a state of insurrection existed, authorized the President, in his discretion, to license trade. ”

“ Section 5 of the act of Congress of July 17th, 1862, prohibited a person occupying the position of A. W. McKee from selling his property, and it follows, as he had no capacity to dispose of it, that the claimant could acquire no title to it.
All licenses to trade issued under the act of July 13th, 1861, are controlled by the provisions of the act of July 17th, 1862, and must be restricted to a permission to trade with those persons who are not within the prohibitions of the latter act. ”